William timebmann



(No Model.)

W. TIMERMANN.

FASTENING FOR MAIL BAGS, &c.

No. 327,972. Patented Oct. 6, 1885.

WITNESSES 2 f f v INVENTOR M 4 c g M MXMMM Txmumomw d K BY dim/3 1711%?ATTORNEYS s Pmmuzhn m ber, Wnhinginn QC.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM TIMERMANN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND JAMES H.TWADDELL, OF SAME PLACE.

FASTENING FOR MAIL-BAG S, 800.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 327,972, dated October6, 1885.

Application filed May 7, 1885. Serial No. 164,691. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM TIMERMANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, in the county and State of New York,

. have invented new and useful Improvements in Bag-Fasteners, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in fastenersfor mail-bags and the like, the object of my invention being to obtaingreater celerity in opening and closingthe bag,accompanied atthesametimewith greater security than has been previously attained, whilethe device itself is exceedingly r 5 simple, requiring very little timefor its adjustment, and during the process of filling the bags it isentirely out of the way and does not interfere in the least with theprocess, as does the more complicated devices.

My invention consists, essentially, in the combination, in abag-fastening device, of back hasps swung from thebag, one of whichoverlaps the other and is provided with as'uitable staple and the otherwith a suitable slot, and

overlapping front hasps swung from the bag, slots formed therein for thereception of a staple, and a padlock or other means for securing theentire device, all of which, together with other essential features, ismore fully pointed out in the following specification and claims andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is ahorizontal transverse section through the top of a bag provided with myimproved fastening. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same with partbroken away, showing the bag locked. Fig. 3 is an end elevation. Fig. 4is a front elevation showing the bag unlocked and opened.

0 Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

In the drawings the letter A designates a mail-bag of any ordinaryconstruction, having a flap, B, thereon, by which the bag is opened orclosed in the usual manner.

5 G O are the back hasps, consisting of bars of rigid material swung atone of their ends from wire loops D D, secured to the ends of the bags,and in the example shown these loops are provided with extensions, whichare secured at a to the bag; but any other form will answer the purpose.The'back hasps, O O, extend across the bag and overlap each other at thecenter, one of them, 0, having a raised extension, b, Fig. 1, whichextends over the end of the other hasp, G. The front hasps, E E, arelikewise swung from the loops D D and overlap each other, the hasp Ehaving a raised extension, b, which extends over the end of the otherhasp,- E. In order to lock these connected hasps, the back hasp, G, isprovided with a staple or eyebar, F, which is secured thereto in anysuitable manner; or it may be formed integral therewith. The said stapleextends through a slot, 0, formed in the back hasp, 0, through slots orholes d d in the bag, a hole, 6, in the flap, and finally through slotsf and f in the front hasps, projecting beyond the latter sufficientlyfar to allow the introduction of the hasp of apadlock,

g, or similar device, whereby the set of hasps are securely held andcannot be disengaged until the locking device is unlocked or detaehed.

In order to further secure the hasps to the bag and prevent them frombeing easily torn out, I provide each of the back hasps, G G, with apin, G G, which pins extend through sockets h h in the bag,corresponding sockets,

z i, in the flap of the bag, and through sockets j j in the front hasps,their ends being flush, or nearly so, with the surface of the hasps.When the bag is unlocked, all the hasps will fall along the edge of thebag, Fig. 4, and will be entirely out of the way during the operation offilling the bag, which makes the said operation more expeditious thanwith bags having more complicated fastenings, which interfere with thefilling of the bag.

The edges of the various sockets which are formed in the bag arepreferably protected by metal plates secured around their peripheries oredges, as shown in thedrawings.

In the example shown in the drawings each of the back hasps, O O, isprovided with only one pin G; but for larger bags I use several suchpins to each hasp, for an obvious purpose.

Heretofore a mail-bag has been provided with a plate riveted to the backof the bag, and having an attached staple to extend IOC through a holein the front of the bag and also I through flaps which close the mouthof the bag, two bars being hung, respectively, from eyes or loops at theends of the bag, and each having at its other end an eye to engage thestaple at the front of the bag, where such bars are secured by apadlock. Such, therefore, I do not claim, as it does not 'constitute myin vention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a bag-fastening device, the combination of the back hasps, pivotedas described, and adapted to swing away from the bag, one of which haspsoverlaps the other when closed, and is provided With a staple -or eyebarextending through a slot in the other, the pivoted overlapping fronthasps also adapted to swing from the bag-frame and having the slotstherein for the reception of the staple, substantially as shown anddescribed.

2. The combination, with a bag and its flap, of the back and front haspspivoted on loops secured to the bag, the staple secured to one of theback hasps and extending through the remaining back hasp, the bag-flapand front hasps, the pins on the back hasps extending through the bagflap and front hasps, and means for locking the hasps, substantially asshown and described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM TIMERMANN. [n s.]

Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, E. F. KASTENHUBER.

